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Description

See through the dark and gnarly.

Moonless nights and torrential thunderstorms make for spectacular photos, but they also mean you're out in the elements when it's pitch-black and Biblically wet. See your camera settings and then some with the Black Diamond Storm Headlamp. Complete redesigned, this feather-light headlamp puts the lighting level controls at your fingertip. PowerTap technology lets you dim the lights when the mood is right, or fully illuminate the situation, all with only your fingertip. Two red LED lights give you owl-like night vision. A lock mode lets you pack this lamp without burning through your batteries before you've left the house, and the strobe option turns your campsite into a rocking disco. Weighing in at 3.88 ounces, this rugged headlamp provides high-power lighting in a tougher-than-steel package.

Great Headlamp!

The last time a bought a head lamp was over 6 years ago. I thought this year might be the year to upgrade.

I mainly use this for early morning tours although it has proved useful under the car as well.

The strap is very comfortable. The different modes are great. The beam is focused and I love that it can run at either 75% or 100%. I hardly use the 100% beam. I wish the button was slightly larger though as it can be hard to find with ski gloves on.

Comment on Andrew Brook's review »

Finicky Controls but Still Awesome!

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

It's a little heavier than my previous headlamps, and the controls aren't super intuitive. But I don't mind geeking out with it for awhile and actually reading instructions, so that didn't bother me too much. And I do really like what those controls do. So give it a chance to get used to it. Its a great light!

Comment on James Pramick's review »

Love it

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

Its a great headlamp that I have used on several hikes and backpacking trips. I have used it in rain and no leaks. It is a little heavy and carrying the extra batteries adds up but I have not regrets. The red light option is great since it attracts less bugs.

Comment on her4600306's review »

Absolutely Love It

At first I was somewhat hesitant about spending $50 on a headlamp, but after using the Storm for a little while I'm stoked on the purchase and feel it was worth the price.

Pros 1. Bright Light! With a max output of 160 lumens the Storm is powerful. While I wouldn't say you can see clearly out to the listed max distance of 70 meters you can see eyes light up at least 70 meters out, maybe up to 100 meters. 2. Dimming/Powertap. Hold the button to dim the light. Whatever dim level you leave the light at will be set for the Powertap function. A tap of your fingertip on the side of the headlamp will switch between full power and your selected dim level, super convenient. 3. A double click of the button will switch to SinglePower (also dimmable), great for reading or not blinding your friends around the campsite. 4. Waterproof/Durable. Big selling point for me. If you get stuck in the elements at night or start your skin up the mountain early morning on a snowy day you can rely on the Storm to still light your way. 5. Lock Mode. Just hold the top button for a few seconds and the battery indicator light (which is a useful feature in itself) on the side will flash blue to indicate that the headlamp is locked. No more worries about the lamp turning on in your pack and draining the batteries. 6. The adjustment clip on the headstrap doubles as a key to open the battery compartment, a nice bit of attention to detail.

Cons 1. It's not the lightest headlamp out there but at 3.9 oz I'm fine with it. 2. There are a quite a few functions operated by just one button. Hold the button with light off and before it locks it will switch to red, hold with light off to switch back to normal light, double click for SinglePower light, triple click for strobe... it takes a moment to get used to but I think it's intuitive. 3. Again, at $50 it's not cheap.

Overall I highly recommend this product, it has every function you could want in a headlamp in a simple and rugged package.

Comment on Josh Hirschmann's review »

Well thought out design

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I used this for night hiking, trips, finding junk in my car, and most recently mountain biking at Betasso in Boulder. It worked well enough as a night light for a 1.5 hour ride, and I can't remember when I last changed the batteries. Luckily, there is a nifty little LED that tell you battery life.

I think it takes people a while to figure out how to get through all the modes with one button, but I don't find it a problem to pick it up after 3 months of not using it and still get through all the functions. Albeit, I use spot for riding, flood for camping/cooking, and red if I night gaze. Flash I just don't use. The dimming capability is okay - I use high or low most.

It is a bit heavy. And takes a fleet (4) of AAAs. If you wanted to run with this, it feels heavy - like it might fall - but I haven't really had it fall down or angle down from bouncing.

Also, I leave the batteries in a lot (sin!) but find it hasn't caused corrosion or dead batteries so far. Certainly convenient!

Ooo, and the little thumb-screw that holds the back on is nice. No fussing around with a bad seal or damaged plastic from coin opening.

Comment on Kevin Moynihan's review »

Love it!

I now own two Black Diamond headlamps, the Cosmo and the Storm. I had two minor complaints about the Cosmo - the proximity lighting beam was too focused, and the light would occasionally turn on while I was carrying it in my pack. Neither of those complaints is an issue with the Storm. The proximity beam is very diffuse, which makes it useful for close up tasks such as reading. The lockout mode basically eliminates any chance of the light coming on while in my pack.

I'm amazed that Black Diamond could pack so much functionality into a compact, single-button headlamp. The fact that it is all controlled with a single button makes it a little confusing at the start, but after a minute or two of using it the controls became intuitive for me.

Comment on Alice J's review »

Best headlamp

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

I've had several headlamps and this one compares to some of the more expensive ones I've used. The several settings and ability to dim, the super bright full powered setting and red light, all combine to make it fully functional and versatile. I also love that it locks so when I throw it in my bag I don't have to worry about it turning on and burning through the battery.

Comment on Michaelsoft_'s review »

Best in its class

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I love all the features you get with this headlamp: spot, flood, dimming, flashing, red light, lockout. It's great! Cycling through the different modes is a breeze and I find myself utilizing pretty much all of the features. (Except for the flashing because I luckily haven't been in an emergency situation *fingers crossed*)

I've used this for camping, hiking, climbing, reading in bed at night, changing a car tire, searching through my trunk, and just about everything in between. I've probably also used this around my house when I was too lazy to turn lights on. (I should probably re-evaluate my life). It's always performed perfectly and flawlessly.

For its class of headlamp (integrated batteries and non-reactive) I think this is the BEST headlamp you can buy. The only competitor are the new reactive headlamps from PETZL, but they are about twice the price.

Just remember to use the lockout feature (when off, hold down power for 7 seconds) to make sure it doesn't turn on in your bag!

Comment on Ben Rabinowitz's review »

Choprock Canyon - Escalante, UT 8-31-201

This canyon (and the recommendation of my friend) is the reason I bought the BD Storm headlamp. My Petzl Zipka is not waterproof so I ended up having to use the surrounding light from my friends headlamps and eventually using my iPhone light in a Lifeproof case for around 2 hours in a slot canyon. The dark area starts at 5:16 if you don't want to watch the whole video (even though it is an awesome canyoneering video!)

Comment on Jeff Guest's video »

Not very intuitive...

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I bought this headlamp for canyoneering in wet canyons. Normally I keep a Petzl Zipka in my dry bag for those times when we need to hike out of a slot canyon in the dark (which has happened a few times). Sadly while the Zipka is really lightwight and small, it is not waterproof. I recently had an experience in Choprock Canyon where we were still in the canyon for 2 hours in the dark before we got to the last rappel. It was a very wet canyon with lots of splashing and very possible full submersing while dropping into a pool of water so I didn't want to risk getting my Zipka wet. My other friend had the BD Storm headlamp and had no worries at all. I ended up purchasing the Storm when we got back from our trip so I can be prepared for the next time I need a headlamp while still in the water.

Cons: I was disappointed on how non-intuative the button controls are. the main button on the top middle turns it on and off (half press does nothing). Holding down the middle button while on will dim the brightness from high to low to high. While holding down the middle button while off will will change to the red LED's. Holding the middle button while on will dim the brightness like mentioned above. Holding again while off will change back to white LED's. Touching the sensor button on the side will either alternate between dimming or brightening the white or red LED's. I much prefer the one button operation of cycling through brighnesses and red lights and holding down to turn off.

Overall This is the best light I've found for my intended purpose of a waterproof headlamp, but will definitely not be my regularly used go-to light for anything other than potential dark/wet slot canyon light. See my video review for the video where I did not have a waterproof headlamp and I ended up having to use my iPhone light in a Lifeproof case and the surrounding lights of my friends waterproof headlamps.

My friend had an older version of this light and said it was much more intuitive.

Comment on Jeff Guest's review »

Awesome Headlamp!

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

Bright, light, and super powerful. This headlamp does it all. Love the red LED features, because of the ability to switch it on without having to cycle through the other settings. Great idea for early alpine starts where you don't want to wake up everyone in the hut.

Comment on Ryan Roeber's review »

I Can See Clearly Now The STORM Is On!!

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

What can I say, this is the fourth Storm I've owned and I love it, of course a couple of friends loved them also and kept them. I did leave one on top of a peak for some lucky person. The reason I keep coming back is their great durability. I hammer on gear and this Storm keeps on giving me an awesome return when night hiking, mountaineering and even as a second lamp for cycling. I've used this in the Pacific Northwest's rainy days and never had a problem of it shorting out. (I think Brandon Outen's review earlier "Great for Night Swimming" is a great testimony of it's waterproofness) A time and battery saving feature is the battery lock so you no longer need to take out a battery or turn one upside down while in transit.

Comment on Scott Scooter Sowle's review »

Best Headlamp I've Used

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I've used this guy a ton and it never fails to impress. You'll find lighter headlamps but i'm willing to trade a few ounces for features. If you do any hiking, fishing, skiing, etc., in bad weather you won't be disappointed!

Comment on Kirill's review »

Bright and SOLID!

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I'm pretty impressed with this lamp so far. It is much brighter than the old one I used to own and I really enjoy the versatility of options for lighting and being able to dim the light, all with the use of only a single button. It feels super sturdy, and though I haven't gotten it wet yet, I imagine it will hold up well. The lock feature is also a nice safety from battery drainage even though I feel it would be pretty hard for the light to get turned on by accident. Overall, very pleased with my first couple uses of this headlamp.

Comment on Jacob Wilbanks's review »

Trail Running At Night = So Awesome!

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

After scouring many gear review sites and trail running sites, the Storm was always highly spoken of. At first, I really only wanted to spend about half of what the Storm goes for... but after many convincing reviews, I pulled the trigger.

I've had my Storm for about 2 years now and still freakin' love the thing like the day I got it. I've logged around 500+ miles of crazy, scary trail runs at night with the thing on.

Running at night, in the rain and mud, can get pretty nutty, but dang, it's fun as all get out. Just make sure you've got some killer traction on your shoes!

Sorry to the many, many runners I've freaked out with just the red LED's on!!

I've also used the heck outta the Storm for camping and early morning hiking too.

Comment on el scotto's review »

Best headlamp so far.

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

This is the best headlamp I have every owned, I've had the Spot and the Gizmo also by Black Diamond as well as the Petzl Tikka Plus 2. Very well made and durable. The spot light on this headlamp is extremely bright and reaches a hell of a long ways. Probably farther than you need to see. It is nice to have to spot pairs of eyes flanking you on the trail. The LED lights on the sides of the spotlight get more use, good for digging through your backpack looking for your bottle opener and whatnot. It also has a strobe effect for emergency situations or impromptu dance parties.

My two favorite features are the red LED lights for reading and whatnot and the lock feature. You can depress the button for 6 seconds and lock the headlamp so that it doesn't accidentally get turned on in your pack and drain your battery. Another great feature is the mechanism to open the battery compartment. It is a little thumb screw that you undo instead of dealing with the frustrating friction buttons that so many headlamps have.

I've dropped this in the river a few times and it has definitely taken a beating from sand and rocks but it is still working like new.

Comment on Matthew Pizza's review »

Anyone have issue with this lamp dying...

Anyone have issue with this lamp dying BECAUSE of 'LOCK' mode?

I love everything about this lamp (I LOVE LAMP!) but found it dead when I really needed it. Sorry for the TL:DR, but wanted to see if anyone else had similar symptoms. I now know of myself, my climbing partner, and one other friend who have had same dead Storm at the base of a climb. Don't know if I missed something in instructions, or if a design flaw of some sort...

I bought this lamp 4 days prior to a Mt Adams climb. I opened the box, installed included batteries, ran through the functions for about 5 minutes at home to make sure I had them figured out, then put it 'LOCK' mode and into the brain of my pack so I wouldn't forget it.

Flash forward to camp at the base of Mt. Adams, the night before we are supposed to be walking onto the north glacier. BOTH my climbing partner and I turned on our Storms and BOTH refused to turn on. Both lamps had fresh batteries, both were in 'LOCK' in our packs for a few days prior...Got back to town and replaced batts for Rainier climb but only the LED battery indicator light would work - GREEN for on, flashing BLUE in 'LOCK' - none of the main lights (spot, sides, or reds) would turn on.

Backcountry.com is (of course) completely RAD and after one quick phone call, I will be able to return hassle-free. The only hassle was having to go to REI and pick up another lamp for remainder of trip, as we were leaving for Rainier the following day.

Honestly, it sounds as though you got a lemon. So you're saying that it won't come out of "Lock" mode? For instance, you operated it and it worked, you put it in Lock mode, and then when you held down the "On" button for a number of seconds to bring it out of Lock mode to turn it on, it wouldn't turn on? The flashing blue should be there for five or six seconds before it comes out of Lock mode to turn on, but if all it is doing is flashing blue even when you're holding it down for over ten or fifteen seconds, maybe you got at a lemon. Very bizarre.

James, sorry not sure how to reply directly to your answer, so trying it here...

I think I did get a lemon, but it's not stuck in "Lock" mode. I can hold the button and unlock it but the lamp(s) still won't turn on. The only reason I know it's out of lock mode is the battery indicator light (can get it to switch from flashing blue to solid green which I assume SHOULD mean the lamp is on)...some sort of disconnect between the power and the lamp itself I guess.

From that description, it sounds as though the wiring connections are probably loose or, more likely, disconnected. You are correct in assuming that the lamp SHOULD be on once you've made it switch on the indicator light from a flashing blue (Lock) to solid green (On, with high battery level). As you stated before, and as I know from experience, BC has a fantastic return policy, so I would just send it back their way and request an exchange.

SamSala, I am having the exact same issue with my Storm headlamp. The green light comes on, to indicate it's not locked, but the light does not turn on. No combination of button pushing will make it work. I have used this lamp for less than 5 minutes total, not even outside the house yet. It seemed like exactly what I wanted when it did work though.

I purchased through Steep and Cheap more than 30 days ago and thus, will have to go through BD for a warranty claim.

I have also a problem with my Spot lock mode but a different one. After about a year of use, the headlamp is stuck in lock mode. When I press the button for over 6 seconds to unlock it, all the lights are flashing (strobe) and then turn off again and the headlamp is still in lock mode. I don't know what to do to get out of this lock mode anymore.

Have an answer for SamSala?

Exceeded expectations, love it!

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

Got one of these originally as a gift, then got another for my girlfriend at the time because I liked it so much. Now she's my wife. Just saying. One had an issue with battery corrosion after two years, BD replaced it quickly for free, no hassle.

It's durable, quality, very bright, has a bunch of well-designed features (dimming is nice, red light for inside the tent so you don't have to disturb anyone). Haven't had any problems with the lock feature.

According to the description, it's brighter than the ReVolt, $10 cheaper, and it's waterproof. I can live without the recharging feature because the batteries last forever, and honestly, I generally hate rechargeable batteries.

In addition to camping, I use this for biking rather than a handlebar mounted headlight. It's nice to have the light move where ever your head is trying to look rather than be fixed to one spot in front of the road. I can quickly "flash" drivers at night with a nod of the head to make sure they see me, and I don't have to worry about it getting stolen off my bike.

Overall, I couldn't recommend this higher. High quality, you won't be disappointed.

Comment on dgottli11942811's review »

A piece of crap.

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I bought the head lamp three weeks ago and found on the only two hikes I took with the lamp, the lamp turned on while hooked on to my pack. I so far have wasted 8 AAA batteries and have not even used the lamp yet. I have owned many lamps before and have never once had a problem with a button so sensitive to touch that will turn it on with the slightest nudge or pressure on the button. Hey I'm certain the lamp works great. With 100 lumens how can it not but Black Diamond should at least perfect the on/off button by adding a lock mechanism or recess the button better making it impossible for it to turn on with the slightest touch,bounce or nudge.

Donna, I have this same headlamp, albeit a couple years old, but it has a lock feature. Look on your lamp for a lock symbol. IIRC, you hold the power button for four or six seconds and a blue led will flash next to the lock symbol. I hope this helps.

Jonathon is right, there is a lock feature. While off, hold the power button for 6 secs. The red light will go on after 3 secs, then go off and a blue light on the side will blink after 6 secs, indicating it's locked.